Rewrite this title Dilapidated Newport structure will be torn down in 3 months

Rewrite this post NEWPORT, R.I. (WPRI) — The ruins of a crumbling stone structure in Newport will be torn down later this year, according to the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM). Mike Healey, a spokesperson for the DEM, tells 12 News that “The Bells” at Brenton Point State Park will be demolished in roughly […]

Rewrite this title Connecticut lawmakers vote to allow people to use deadly force as the bear population grows

Rewrite this post (AP) — Connecticut lawmakers voted Friday to take steps to protect people from the state’s growing bear population. But they stopped far short of a bear hunt and restrictions on people unintentionally feeding the hungry animals. The legislation, which cleared the House of Representatives on a 115-32 vote after being revamped by […]

Rewrite this title Churchill Downs moves meet to Ellis Park to examine protocols following 12 horse deaths

Rewrite this post (AP) — Churchill Downs will suspend racing operations on Wednesday and move the remainder of its spring meet to Ellis Park in order to conduct a “top-to-bottom” review of safety and surface protocols in the wake of 12 horse fatalities the past month at the home of the Kentucky Derby. No single […]

Rewrite this title House nixes sales tax cut from $14B budget proposal

Rewrite this post PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — The House Finance Committee is still hammering out the the fine details of the state budget. House Speaker Joseph Shekarchi described the $14 billion budget as one that “…reflects the times that we are in.” “This is a budget that meets the needs of Rhode Islanders,” Shekarchi said. […]

Rewrite this title Biden celebrates bipartisanship, ‘crisis averted’ in Oval Office address on debt ceiling deal

Rewrite this post WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden celebrated a “crisis averted” in his inaugural speech to the nation from the Oval Office Friday evening, ready to sign a budget agreement that eliminates the potential for a first-ever government default that would have sent shock waves through the U.S. and global economies. The bipartisan measure was […]

Rewrite this title 911 calls point to fast-evolving chaos in Maine shootings

Rewrite this post PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A frantic 911 call to report at least one person had been fatally shot led law enforcement to discover four bodies at a home in Maine and eventually to arrest a man who fired at vehicles on a nearby highway before confessing to police that he was behind the killings. […]

Rewrite this title US hiring jumped last month. So did unemployment. Here’s what that says about the economy

Rewrite this post WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation’s employers stepped up their hiring in May, adding a robust 339,000 jobs, well above expectations and evidence of enduring strength in an economy that the Federal Reserve is desperately trying to cool. Friday’s report from the government reflected the job market’s resilience after more than a year of aggressive […]

Rewrite this title Police investigating concerning graffiti, flyers in Coventry

Rewrite this post COVENTRY, R.I. (WPRI) — An investigation is underway after “inappropriate and racially explicit” graffiti was found on a Coventry bike path. The graffiti was discovered by a resident on the Coventry Greenway Bike Path last Tuesday, according to a police report obtained by 12 News. The report says the graffiti included profanity, […]

Rewrite this title Former Playboy model accuses Bill Cosby of drugging, sexually assaulting her in 1969

Rewrite this post LOS ANGELES (AP) — A former Playboy model who alleges Bill Cosby drugged and sexually assaulted her and another woman at his home in 1969 sued him Thursday under a new California law that suspends the statute of limitations on sex abuse claims. In her lawsuit, Victoria Valentino, 80, says she was an actress […]

Rewrite this title Pentagon leak suspect seeks another court-appointed attorney

Rewrite this post BOSTON (WPRI) — The Massachusetts Air National Guardsman accused of leaking classified documents on a social media platform is asking a federal judge to provide another court-appointed attorney for his defense. Jack Teixeira, 21, of Dighton, was charged in April with unauthorized transmission of defense materials and unauthorized retention and removal of […]